IB_Issue3

4-5 / 9

Page 4 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 3 Page 5 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 3
A hadith of the Prophet (s.a.w.) asserts that the forehead rep-
resents the center of direction and control, and it is the front
of the head.
He (s.a.w) said, “No distress and grief occurs to anyone who
says, ‘Oh Lord, I am your slave and the son of your slaves, my
forehead is in your hands, firm in your ruling, and my destiny
from You is just.’”
The hadith indicates that the fate of a man is in his Lord’s
hand. It mentions the destiny and the ruling. It explains that
the forehead plays a great role in the control and direction of
human behavior.
Perhaps for the above mentioned reasons, God orders us to per-
form sujood, (i.e. place our foreheads on the ground, as stated in
the continuation of the Qur’anic verses above).
“Then let him call his associates. We will call on the angels of
punishment. Then follow not him, but prostrate yourself and
draw nearer to Us (God).” (Quran 96: 17-19)
This order to perform sujood means we should place the center
of the will and decision making upon the ground to show the
absolute submission to God.
A person who is punished in the forehead would have his fron-
tal lobes damaged. This would interfere with his higher mental
functions, which would reduce his mental ability and cause signs
of complacency and self satisfaction.
Thus the Qur’an has described the role of the forehead, or more
specifically the function of the frontal lobes of the brain, in making
decisions, and the hadith has referred to the role of the forehead
in the control and direction of human behavior.
Although we have some understanding of the function of the
frontal lobes of the brain at the present time, this knowledge was
obscure even to the imagination in early times.
In the past, some of the interpreters of the Qur’an found difficulty
in following the literal meaning of the verses, and they interpreted
the verses to mean that the owner of the forehead is a liar and
sinful.
However, other interpreters considered the description of lying
and sinful to apply to the forehead itself.
The Almighty also says,
“There is no living creature that moves on the earth, but he
(God) holds its forehead completely.” (Quran 11:56)
In his interpretation of this verse, Ibn Katheer said, “i.e. under his
force and power.” Ibn Jarir At-Tabari said, “There is nothing that
moves on this land unless it is owned by God. Under His grasp
and power, it is submissive and obedient to God.” Al-Qurtubi
said, “That means He directs it as He wishes and prevents it from
what He wills.”
Almighty God has mentioned that He controls every creature by
His will and that this is done through controlling the foreheads
of all creatures.
Thus is understood that the forehead is the site of control of an
animal’s behavior.
Consequently, these statements in the Qur’an, recorded in the
7th century A.D., imply an awareness of the functions of the
frontal lobes of the brain which was not known to physicians
at that time.
It is only after a thorough study of the physiology and functions of
the lobes of the cerebral hemisphere and their locations in man
and animals, that the function of the forehead has been recognized
by modern comparative anatomy.
Is this not further evidence of the soundness of the statements
in the Qur’an, and that they were not written by scientists
or physicians in the 7th century A.D.? These statements warn
those who reject these revelations that they will be punished
severely.
Q: 1. Is it OK to fast without Suhur
(night meal)?
Q: 2. Is it OK for a Muslim to fast on
the first day of Eid-ul-Fitr?
Q: 3. Is the Eid-ul-Fitr Salah fard (oblig-
atory) or sunnah (voluntary)?
Q: 4. How does a non-Muslim become
a Muslim?
Q: 5. Who is the mother of Jesus (A.S.)?
Q: 6. What is the name of the cave
where the Qur’an was first revealed to
the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)?
A: Yes, it is OK to fast without Suhur (night
meal).
A: No, it is not OK for a Muslim to fast on the
day of Eid-ul-Fitr.
A: The Eid-ul-Fitr Salah is sunnah (voluntary)
and not fard (obligatory).
A: By declaring the Shahadah (the first Kalimah
- “I bear witness that there is no one worthy
of worship except The Almighty, and that
Mohammed is His servant and Messenger”) a
non-Muslim becomes a Muslim.
A: Mary (Mariam) (A.S.) daughter of Prophet
Imran is the mother of Jesus.
A: The cave of ‘Hira’.
Indian Sweet Delight - Rasgoolas in Ras Malai
courtesy of N. Sabedar, Daly City
Ingredients:
- 2 pints milk
- 1 whole lemon (or juice thereof)
- 1 teaspoon Arrow root
- 3 cups fine sugar
- 4 cups water
- 20 small pieces of sanker (candy sugar)
Direction:
1. Make a thin syrup of water, sugar and 1 tablespoon milk. Strain it
and keep at the side of stove.
2. Heat milk to boiling point and add lemon juice which will make
the milk curdle up in lumpy masses.
3. Strain off water and leave lumpy mass hanging in a cloth bag for
about 1 hour.
4. During this time, the mass should be dry and firm, add Arrow root
to the lumpy mass and mix it smoothly.
5. Now take marble sized lumps of the mass (about 3/4 inch in di-
ameter) and mold it carefully around a piece of sugar candy.
6. Prepare similar balls from the rest of the sugar candy and milk
mass, and drop them into rapidly boiling syrup for 30 minutes. (Keep
adding 2 tablespoons of water every 5 minutes.)
7. Remove these Rosgoolla balls as they are now termed into the 2
pints of cold milk and allow to soak for 1 hour.
8. Remove Rasgoolla balls frommilk, and boil till only 1/2 pint quantity
is left. This is known as Ras Malai.
9. Add the Rasgoollas to the Ras Malai, add few drops of rose water
for added flavor.
Serve cold and enjoy it!!
Fried Eggplant
courtesy of R. Bahamdun, Saudi Arabia
Ingredients:
- Eggplant
- Flour
- Milk
- Salt
- Olive Oil
Direction:
1. Peel the eggplant, slice it, and leave the slices to soak for several
hours in milk with a little salt, so that the eggplant, having soaked up
the milk, will not soak up oil when frying.
2. Remove the slices from the milk, letting the excess run off.
3. Dip them in flour and fry in virgin oil till crispy.
Very simple and delicious!!
Starting with this issue, we will be including a new section on the
Islamic vocabulary providing detailed explanation.
Some of the words may not necessarily have any Islamic/Arabic
origin but they have been adopted to specify the doctrines, rites,
ceremonies, customs along with the other technical and theological
terms presently used in the Islamic world.
Ablution: The Arabic word is wudu.
The Holy Prophet described ablution as ‘the half of faith and
the key of prayer’ and is founded on the authority of the Holy
Qur’an:
“0’ Believers! when ye prepare yourselves for prayer, wash your
faces and hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your
feet to the ankles.” (Quran 5:6)
The ablution need not be performed before each of the five
stated periods of prayer, when the person is conscious of having
avoided every kind of impurity since the last performance of
the ablution.
The private parts of the body must also be purified when nec-
essary.
When water cannot be procured, or would be injurious to health,
the ablution may he performed with clean dust or sand.
This ceremony is called Tayammum.
Islamic Vocabulary